Byrek, an Albanian pie named variously, as burek or as lakror in south-eastern Albania, can be filled with a wide range of ingredients such as spinach, pumpkin, leek, lentils, meat, tomatoes, beans, and curd.

Season ½ kg cut leek with salt and mix by hand to squeeze out its water. Add a cup oil (olive or sunflower), a handful chopped onions, an egg, a cup cottage cheese, a tsp salt, and mix.

Start with laying 2 pastry leaves in the pan, spread some leek-mixture on it, cover with a couple pastry leaves and sprinkle some olive oil. Repeat for a packet of pastry leaves.

The leaves should come out an inch from the baking pan and the last layer of the pie should be pastry leaves. Roll the part of the pastry leaves, which are out, over the ‘pie’ and give a olive-oil sprinkle.

Bake at 180â—¦C for 45 minutes or until slightly brown; rest the pie for half an hour and then cut into pieces and serve it hot, accompanied by yoghurt or some cheese.